Orlando Magic trade rumors and possibilities: Wings edition

Jan 14, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) reacts after dunking the ball in the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

As the February 23 NBA trade deadline approaches, the Orlando Magic are looking to be serious players as many teams seek wing help and consistency.

The moves the Orlando Magic front office made this past offseason, giving up young talent and serious money for established veterans, made it clear the Magic front office is all-in to win in 2017. But so far, the team simply has not been consistent enough.

Do not expect that to discourage them from tinkering further to make the 2017 Playoffs.

While the Magic have not exactly been firing on all cylinders so far, they are still only a couple of games out of the eighth seed. The Eastern Conference is overflowing with teams hovering around .500 and it would take a very considerable losing streak to really put that out of reach.

In the meantime, expect the front office to do everything it can to put the team over the hump. Whether that can be enough is a different discussion. But tanking is pretty much out of the question for any team who has invested what the Magic have in its offseason acquisitions.

If the Magic want a playoff spot, they need a stable scoring punch from outside. If Aaron Gordon is going to continue playing the 3, the Magic need to acquire a forward who can complement his strengths and cover up his weaknesses.

In return, the Magic will be quick to offer a piece from their teeming frontcourt, perhaps with Mario Hezonja as a deal-sweetener for a team that can afford to let him develop and make mistakes on the court. Gordon has also been mentioned by some writers and bloggers as a possible trade piece, but considering his status as the franchise star and cornerstone, he will probably stay in Orlando.

Most of the scenarios explored in this slideshow are more speculative than they are substantiated, based on rumors from around the NBA blogosphere rather than from concrete evidence, but here are a few players the Magic could potentially make in their playoff push as the trade deadline creeps nearer.

Dec 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) shoots the ball during the first half against the Orlando Magic at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler

The Denver Nuggets are full of interesting pieces rumored to be on the trade market. Similar to the Magic, the Nuggets have an overloaded frontcourt, but they also have some players who could fit the Magic’s needs to a T.

The shaky-at-best results of the Aaron Gordon small forward experiment thus far have clearly demonstrated a need for the Magic to recalibrate its roster and rotations. With Serge Ibaka receiving most of the minutes at the 4, there is no room for him to consistently play if Gordon is to scale back up to power forward. So, in the meantime, the team has to try to make the most out of what Gordon offers at the 3 – strong defense and mismatches against smaller defenders when playing inside.

So, in the meantime, the team has to try to make the most out of what Gordon offers at the 3 – strong defense and mismatches against smaller defenders when playing inside.

The converse of those strengths has been glaring. Gordon simply is not the type of player to succeed when trying to score from the wing or handle the ball. He also loses matchup advantages when trying to defend many opposing 4s inside, as opposed to using his length to guard smaller 3s.

Denver has two players who could enable Gordon to play the 4 on offense while being able to switch and guard bigger 4s inside and 3s on the perimeter.

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Wilson Chandler could be an excellent complement to these strengths and struggles.

So far this season, he has been an excellent outside scorer and 3-point shooter. He is also a serviceable ball handler and can hold his own defend bigger 4s. Opponents’ field goal percentage within six feet of the basket is nine percentage points worse than the league average when Chandler is defending.

Playing him alongside Gordon at the forward position might be exactly what the Magic need to get the most out of their experiment.

While Danilo Gallinari does not quite have the same defensive skill set as Chandler, his ability to stretch the floor while playing as a small-ball power forward could be very useful for the Magic, if Vogel is interested in playing more lineups with Ibaka at center.

Additionally, Gallinari is a proven and highly dependable option on offense.

While Orlando is one of the worst teams in the league in terms of field goal percentage on wide-open 2s, Gallinari’s 44.2 percent field goal percentage with no defenders within six feet is better than any Magic player.

This is especially significant considering the Magic are also fifth in the NBA in total wide-open 2-point opportunities per game.

Although he is not the most adept shot creator, his ability to catch and shoot would be a welcome addition to the Magic offense. He shoots better than 40 percent from 3 and better than 46 percent inside the arc when he does not dribble before a shot. Whereas, the Magic, as a whole, are in the bottom 10 and bottom five in those categories respectively.

On the other end, it is relatively unclear what the Nuggets are seeking in return.

Just like the Magic, their roster construction heading into the season was pretty confusing and frontcourt-heavy. While Orlando will probably be looking to move a frontcourt piece, the Nuggets already have an established rotation of Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic at center, alongside Chandler, Gallinari and Kenneth Faried at the 4.

Additionally, the Nuggets will have a lot of cap space this summer and might just wait until free agency to make any big moves. If they have Ibaka in their sights, for example, it would be more sensible for them to hold off on any moves until his contract ends this year so they do not have to give up any pieces as part of a trade — although securing his Bird Rights might be advantageous too.

The most likely trade scenario would be if Denver feels that they can make a playoff push, their front office may decide to pull the trigger sooner rather than later on a veteran who can shore up their league-worst defense and complement Jokic on offense.

The Nuggets may also look for a sweeter deal possibly involving Mario Hezonja, who still has upside and could provide a scoring punch if given the opportunity to develop on a rebuilding team.

Gallinari and Chandler both would satisfy a number of needs for the Magic, but more complicated for the Magic would be creating an offer package that invites the Nuggets to pull the trigger.

Nov 9, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) and Orlando Magic center Bismack Biyombo (11) defend during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Zach LaVine

It is no secret the Magic have a surplus of big men on their hands. If the team needs shooting and scoring from the wing, the first team that should come to mind as possible trade partners should be those that are looking to move backcourt pieces in exchange for frontcourt help.

Enter the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Despite being a popular pick to jump forward in the standings this season as their young core of Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine start to gel under new head coach and general manager Tom Thibodeau, the team has sputtered out to a 7-18 record – good for 14th in the Western Conference.

Patience has never been much of a virtue for Thibodeau, so naturally he has already been cited as saying that the team is looking for veteran frontcourt help, possibly in exchange for one of the Wolves’ young rising stars.

With Towns and Wiggins likely off the table, that leaves LaVine, a two-time Slam Dunk Contest champ with a penchant for cooking teams from beyond the arc.

The Magic need consistent shooting and a serious go-to scoring option. Having another guy who can throw down a few windmills or 360s and get a crowd on its feet does not hurt either.

In exchange, the Wolves will obviously want veteran frontcourt leadership. For the Magic that would probably mean giving up Serge Ibaka, which would undoubtedly be a tough sacrifice for the team and many fans. Nikola Vucevic might also be on the table, but Thibodeau would likely be more enticed by a more established defensive player.

Overall, it is not certain the Timberwolves will seriously entertain many offers for LaVine. But it is a possibility. The pieces are there on both sides and an Ibaka-LaVine deal would help fill both team’s needs, especially considering Vucevic’s surprising defensive uptick.

The LaVine rumors are largely unsubstantiated and speculative. But at this time of year, nothing can be ruled out.

Feb 23, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) tries to get by Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross (31) at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto defeated Orlando 105-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Terrence Ross

The Toronto Raptors are searching for a stronger defensive presence at the 4 spot, and Serge Ibaka has been an object of their desire for quite some time now. Terrence Ross has been mentioned in trade rumors surrounding the Raptors and his lights-out 3-point shooting would be a huge help for the Magic.

So far, Terrence Ross has been having something of a career year. He is a mere 1.4 percentage points short in free throw percentage of a 50-40-90 campaign, a stat line only a handful of players in history have accomplished.

To reach those marks, he has done a better job of driving the lane, attacking the rim and spotting up for threes than he ever has before.

The Magic would certainly love to pair a player with such a powerful combination of shooting efficiency and athleticism alongside Aaron Gordon, whether it would be at the 2 and 3 or at the 3 and 4.

This past offseason, Toronto reportedly stopped short of offering the Oklahoma City Thunder Patrick Patterson, Cory Joseph, Norman Powell, and their No. 9 overall pick for Serge Ibaka because Ratpors general manager Masai Ujiri felt it would significantly weaken the team’s bench.

Their loss became the Magic’s gain, so to speak.

But as Ibaka’s trade value decreases throughout the season (the more time passes ,the less time the Raptors would be guaranteed to have him because his contract is up at the end of the year) and the Magic become more desperate for dependable and versatile offense, the Raptors may find themselves able to swing a deal to acquire this coveted player without sacrificing much. Certainly not as much as they would have on Draft night.

Look for Paul Millsap to be Toronto’s priority in their trade pursuits, but because of Ujiri’s hesitant and frugal nature when it comes to trades, it would not come as a surprise if the two cannot strike a deal. The Atlanta Hawks may end up looking for more than Ujiri is willing to offer, so that’s where the Magic would come in.

If the Raptors’ goal is to challenge the Cavaliers in 2017 and the Magic’s is to make the playoffs in 2017, this trade may end up being necessary on both ends.

Nov 11, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) high fives forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) as a timeout is called after a play against the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Detroit Pistons 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Rudy Gay

Whether it is DeMarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein, Omri Casspi or Rudy Gay, trade rumors about Sacramento Kings players have popped up just about every day since before preseason even tipped off — many involving the Magic.

But getting the Sacramento front office to strike a deal might be more complicated than it seems.

The Kings’ season thus far has not exactly been a walk in the park. Predictably, the franchise has had problems involving the temper and discontent of superstar DeMarcus Cousins. But they currently sit in the eighth seed of the Western Conference.

Not only are they on track to make the playoffs, but there is no Western Conference rival who seems clear-cut to eventually unseat them. The Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks have all struggled mightily. These would-be contenders have not shown too many signs of breaking through.

If the Kings brass believes this team has a shot to make the playoffs, something the franchise has not accomplished in 10 seasons, they might not see a reason to sell off a superstar like Cousins, or an important member of his supporting cast like Rudy Gay.